Take It Slow
by MeGkAtHeRiNe
Summary: A divorce and a custody battle between the two strongest women in the FBI. The hard way of finding out that maybe attraction isn't the only thing that can be in a relationship.
1. Chapter 1

"Leave me alone!"

"Hey! I didn't say we were done here!"

"No, I did!"

"Who the hell says you get to decide?"

"I do! Did I not make that clear enough for you?"

The blond growled towards her partner before lunging, pushing the older woman's body back against the living room wall. Her eyes hardened when a groan came from the other woman before slapping her firm across the face. "Shut. Up."

The brunette woman felt her back ache from the impact, and her dark eyes looked to the younger woman in front of her. She ignored the sting of her cheek before stomping forward, stepping just in front of her wife. "Quiet down or you'll wake the boys."

"Oh, so now you care about the children!"

"I've always cared about the children! You're the one who goes out for God knows how long every other night!"

The blond woman rolled her eyes, her arms crossing over her chest. "Oh please."

"Don't you try and deny it, Jennifer. And don't think for a second that I don't know about your little get together with your ex."

Jennifer's eyes widened at the statement. "Excuse me?"

The brunette woman let out a laugh. "That's right! I had Hotch drive me over to the bar that night and there you were, hooking up with Detective Crawfish! You cheated, and wth a man no less!"

"That is a load of crap, Emily."

The brown eyed woman's mouth dropped open. "Are you fucking kidding me? You were practically sucking his tongue out of his mouth!"

Jennifer shook her head. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Yeah, actually I do." Emily sighed as she ran a hand down her face. "Please, I don't want to argue anymore tonight. Just sign the papers."

"No. I won't."

Emily gave a roll of the eyes, frustration once again rising within her. "Why not?"

The blond shrugged her shoulders, moving back into the middle of the living room and standing beside the couch. "I don't feel like it."

The older woman tightened the muscles of her jaw, her fists clenching at her sides. "You don't feel like it? JJ, I want a divorce. This isn't something that you can just put off until you're ready."

Jennifer ground her teeth before shaking her head. "This is bullshit."

"This is bullshit? Our entire marriage has been bullshit! All I get from you are lies and excuses and I'm sick of it, Jennifer!" Emily felt her eyes welling with tears, the ache of her back and cheek becoming more manageable. "I just want my life back."

"Mommy?"

Both women looked up to the sound of a small voice, their eyes hitting the small boy up at the top of the staircase. Emily quickly made her way over to the stairs, gesturing for the child to move down. "Come down here, sweetie."

Conner gave a tiny nod of the head, holding his blanket close to his chest as he made his way down the steps. He held his thumb in his mouth and let his mother pick him up from the ground, and he rested his head on her shoulder. "Yous yelling, mommy."

Emily nodded against her child's dark hair, pressing a kiss to his tempe before helping his tiny legs wrap around her midsection. "I know darling, I'm sorry. Momma and I didn't mean to wake you up." Her eyes angrily shot over to the blond in the living room, her hand rubbing up and down her son's back. "Right?"

Jennifer slowly nodded her head, wiping a tear from her cheek. "Right."

The older woman sighed gently as she rocked the two year old on her hip. "Why don't I put you back to bed, ok? Mommy's gonna come and tuck you back in to your crib, ok?"

Conner nodded against his mother's neck, his small eyebrows furrowing when he saw a red palm print on the brunette woman's cheek. "Wha' is tat, mommy?"

Emily's body froze. "What's what?"

"Is red!"

Emily bit her lip, nodding her head gently. "Yeah. Its a little red, but I'm ok."

Conner shook his head, his slightly drooled on hand touching his mother's cheek. "It momma."

The brunette brought her own hand up to brush over the red mark, feeling the impression of her wife's ring pressed into her skin. "Me and Momma were just talking baby, ok? Its nothing."

Jennifer felt her heart break as her brunette son pressed his body into the other woman's chest, his eyes never looking up from her shoulder. Her own son was scared of her. "Conn, do you want momma to come up and help put you back to sleep?"

Conner hurriedly shook his head, pressing his tiny body tighter against his mother's. "No. Mommy."

The blond woman fought the urge to sob right then and there as she quietly nodded her head. "Ok, baby. You go up with mommy."

Emily set her son down on the ground, giving a small pat to his butt as she watched him clutch his baby blanket to his chest. "You get up there, ok? I'm gonna be up in a minute."

Conner's big hazel eyes widened. "No mommy!"

The brunette woman sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, shaking her head. "I promise you that I'm ok, alright? Now get on upstairs."

The married couple watched as the small boy did his best to woddle fast up the stairs.

Emily wiped away her tears, spinning gently on her heels and pointing a finger over to the blond. "You sign those papers. I am not going to sit here and watch my boys get hurt any longer."

Jennifer gave a shake of the head. "They're my sons too."

"Then act like it. Do us all a favor and leave."

The younger woman watched as her wife made her way up the stairs of their home. She brought her hand up to her mouth, covering the sobs that passed by her lips. Her blue eyes glared down to the coffee table before she took her hand and swiped the court issued papers onto the floor. "Fuck no."


	2. Chapter 2

Emily sighed as she put the remainder of the dirty dishes into the dishwasher. She turned around and smile at the sight of Henry helping his younger brother zip up his jacket. It was the first real smile she had smiled in months in that household. The brunette quickly went to the foyer and knelt beside her sons, kissing both of their cheeks. "You guys ready to go?"

Conner looked up to his mother with his beautiful sparkling eyes. "Momma no go?"

Emily gave a small shake of the head as she smoothed down the brunette boy's hair. "No sweetie, momma's not coming. She's gonna stay here while we go on a tiny vacation."

Henry's blue eyes lit up. "Vacation?"

The brunette woman smiled at her eldest before nodding her head. "Yes a vacation. We three are going up to our house up in New York for an entire month!" She laughed as both of her sons' eyes widened. "Does that sound like fun?"

"Fun!"

Emily set a kiss to both childrens heads before taking them out to the car and buckling them into their car seats. She quickly made her way back inside and threw her jacket over her shoulders.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Emily looked up from the buttons on her coat and found the blond woman who she resdied with standing before her, her arms crossed. The brunette gave a small roll of the eyes as she finished up her buttons. "Away."

Jennifer's jaw clenched as she watched the brunette woman flip her dark curls over her shoulder. "Away where, Emily?"

"Why do you care?"

The blonde's eyes widened. "I care because you're leaving our house with the boys, Emily! And you didn't even tell me!"

Emily let out a huff before shaking her head. "I told you last night. I guess you decided not to listen." She quickly went over to the living room and picked up her purse from the couch.

"You did no such thing."

The older woman sighed before spinning on her heels to face the blond, her shoulders shrugging. "But I did."

"No you didn't!"

Emily rolled her eyes before picking up the suitcases and go bag she had packed, her purse slung over her shoulder. "I can't deal with this right now, I have to go."

Jennifer immediately shook her head, standing in the front doorway to block the other woman's path. "You can't leave."

Emily felt the bags grow heavier in her hold as she waited for the blond to move. "Jen get out of the way."

"No! You're not taking my sons!"

The older woman gave a small laugh, looking the blond right in her darkening blue eyes. "Did you even read the paper that I had you sign, JJ? There were divorce papers, and then there were custody agreement papers."

Jennifer felt her heart stop at the statement. "What?"

"You signed a document stating that for the next month I have sole custody of our children. In that time you'll pack everything here that's yours and move out, and after you're settled in a new home we'll have our set court date."

The blond woman's eyes filled with tears as she listened to her now ex-wife. "You can't do this to me."

Emily gave a twitch of the lip before shrugging her shoulders once again, her hands tightening around the suitcase handles. "You did this to yourself."

Jennifer's eye hardened, her fists clenching at her sides before she lunged forward.

Emily let out a cry as she was pushed back against a near wall, the bags falling from her grip. Her eyes popped open, her teeth gritting when she felt her arms pinned against the wall. "Get off of me."

"You won't do this to me!"

"Get OFF of me!"

Jennifer smacked the brunette across the face, watching as her head whipped to the side. "That is what you're doing to me. Do you get it, Emily?" She grabbed the older woman's wrist hard and twisted. "You're breaking me."

Emily let out a shaky breath, her eyes stinging with tears as she felt her wrist twist painfully. "Jennifer please let go."

The blond fumed, pushing the older woman harder into the wall before quickly stepping away. "I will fight you on this. I swear I will!"

Emily quickly wiped under her nose before grabbing the bags from the floor and making her way out of the house.

Henry smiled up to his mother when she opened the back door of her Lexus, putting the bags beneath his feet. "Mommy!"

The brunette woman gave a tiny smile to the small five year old and cupped his cheek. "Hi sweetie. You ready to go?"

"Yeah!"

She laughed slightly at the jumping boy before glancing over to her youngest, her eyes lighting up when she saw he was already asleep. "Then I guess its time to go." The brunette let out a breath before making her way around to the other side of the car, her eyes flickering over to the open front door to see her ex standing there. Her eyes hardened before pointing an accusing finger at the younger woman, the car keys gripped hard in her hand. "You will never get these kids, I swear to you."


	3. Chapter 3

Henry smiled up to his brunette mother as he and his younger brother sat in the biggest bathtub they'd ever seen. "Mommy?"

Emily rolled up her sleeves once again before putting the baby shampoo into the palms of her hands. "What is it, sweetheart?"

"Is momma coming?"

The brunette let out a small sigh as she massaged the shampoo through her youngest's hair. The night before she had barely managed to get Henry to sleep in his own bed without her giving him extra kisses and hugs because his momma wasn't with them. "No darling, momma's not coming."

"Why?"

The brunette frowned as she looked down to her son. "Henry, we talked about this. Me and your momma have to spend some time apart."

Henry's blue eyes raged before he smacked his tiny hands against the surface of the bathwater. "Why!"

Emily's dark eyes hardened on the young boy. "Henry Jared Prentiss don't you dare raise your voice at me."

"I want momma!"

Emily quickly rinsed off both boys before scooping them out of the tub. She wrapped them up in towels before kneeling in front of the blond. "You go into the living room and sit on the naughty stool. When I come to get you, then time out is over."

"No!"

"Now Henry!"

Conner pouted his lips as he watched his older brother stomp out of the room. "Hen-y?"

Emily looked down to the young boy before her, his small hands holding the towel that covered him as tight as he could. "Sweetie, Henry was being bad so he's gonna sit in tome out for a while, ok?"

"Wha' he do?"

The brunette picked up her son from the floor and held him tight to her chest as she took him to his new bedroom. "He was raising his voice at me."

Conner's hazel eyes widened as he looked to the woman carrying him.

"Uh huh. And we don't do that, do we?" She smiled and pressed a kiss to her son's cheek when he shook his head. "Good boy."

Conner shimmied his way out of his mother's grasp and forced her to set him down on the floor. He ran as quick as he could on his tiny legs down the stairs of their New York home and made his way over to his older brother who sat in the corner of the living room. "Hi Hen-y."

Henry looked up from his lap with red eyes. "Hi."

"Yous cwying?"

The blond boy shook his head, tears rolling down his cheeks. "No."

Conner's tiny head whipped around to look to the staircase he had come down. "Mommy! Hen-y's cwying!" He turned to look back to his older brother and leaned forward to wipe the blonde's tears with the palm of his small hand. "Yous don't gotta cwy. Is ok."

Emily slowly made her way down the staircase, gingerly walking over to the corner where her boys were. She knelt before both of her sons, her heart breaking when she saw her blubbering son who sat there. "Henry?"

Henry looked up to his mother as he continued to cry. "I'm sorry *hiccup*, mommy."

Emily bit her lip, forcing herself to keep the distance between her wailing boy. "I need you to tell me what you're sorry for, Henry."

"For *hiccup* yelling." His lips quivered, his towel dropping to drap around his waist as he reached his arms out.

The brunette quickly gathered her eldest son in her arms, her hand smoothing down his wet hair as she shushed him. "Ok sweetie, its ok."

"I want momma!"

Emily picked both of her sons up in her arms and took them up to the second story. After changing them both, the brunette mother rummaged through the clothes on her bed and found her phone. She practically forced her own hand up so the phone was pressed against her ear.

"What do you want, Emily?"

The brunette rolled her eyes before handing the phone to her boys. "Your mother."

Henry smiled wide, taking the phone into his hands. "Momma!"

"Hi my sweet boy. How are you?"

"I miss you momma."

"I know, I miss you and Conner too."

Conner shook his head, crawling up into his brunette mother's lap and snuggling his head against her chest. "Momma hurt."

Emily set a kiss to her son's crown, letting out a shaky sigh as she wrapped her arms around his tiny body.

"Tell your brother to be good for your mommy, ok? You too."

Henry nodded. "Ok!"

"I love you, honey. Give the phone back to mommy now."

"Bye!" Henry quickly scrambled over to the edge of the bed where his mother sat, thrusting the phone in her face. "Here mommy!"

The brunette smiled as best she could as she took the phone. "Thank you, Henry." She put the phone against her ear, listening to the soft cries on the other end. She pulled the phone away, glaring at the dark screen before ending the call. "Goodbye Jennifer."


	4. Chapter 4

Jennifer felt her chin tremble as she stared down to the phone in her hand. Emily hadn't wanted to talk to her; not a single word before she had disconnected the phone line. Conner hadn't even wanted to listen to her voice. The poor boy was still scared of her because of that one night. What did the woman have to do to get her own son to look her way?

The blond looked up from the phone in her hand when she heard the doorbell ring. She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes before making her way over to the foyer of her home, until she moved like she was told, and swung open the front door. "What are you doing here?"

Will found himself smiling at the younger woman before him. "Hello to you too, chere."

Jennifer shook her head as the southerner let himself into her house. "Its really not a good time, Will."

"Is your wife home?"

The younger woman bit her lip, shoving her fingers through her hair before shaking her head. "Ex-wife, Will."

The cop gave a small laugh before making his way back over to the blond and shoving her gently against the wall. "Then this shouldn't be a problem."

The blond felt herself shiver as the older man put his lips to hers. Her eyes closed tight, imagining the feel of her ex-wife's lips on her as she kissed the cop back.

...

Emily swiped her tongue over her two front teeth as she watched her eldest son do his best to push his younger brother in the swing in their new backyard. The blond boy had finally stopped asking his mommy about if or when his momma was coming to see them. He finally began to understand that his two mothers were not going to be living together like they were before, and he began to take over the role as parent as best he could for Conner and even for his brunette mommy.

The brunette woman frowned when she saw a woman peeking over the fence that guarded their house from the rest of the world, and she slowly began to make her way over to where she stood behind the gate. "You two stay right where you are, ok? Mommy's only going over to the fence."

"Kay mommy!"

Emily gave a little wave to the brunette woman who stood on the other side of the fence once she got close enough to see her face. The unfamiliar woman looked beautiful. "Hello? Can I help you?"

The younger woman smiled as she waved to the brunette coming her way. "Hi, I'm Michelle Banks. I live just down the street." She gently lifted the cake she held in her hands. "I came over to welcome you to the street."

Emily felt herself smile to the younger woman before her, and she slowly unlatched the gate to let her into the backyard. "Well thank you so much. My name is Emily Prentiss, and those are my boys Henry and Conner over on the swings."

Michelle nodded slowly, her blue eyes glancing over to the boys. "Are you a single mom?"

The older woman sucked her lips between her teeth before giving a slow nod of the head. "I am now."

The younger brunette's eyes widened. "Oh, I'm so sorry!"

Emily gave a small smile. "No don't be, its ok."

Michelle bit her lip sweetly before nodding her head, hanging the cake over to the older woman. "Well I'm the house just neck door with the huge stone chimney; come by if you need anything."

"I will, thank you."

Before the younger brunette walked back out through the gate, her face brightened. "Oh! I have a four year old daughter that would love to meet you and the boys. Why don't you all come over tomorrow night for dinner?"

Emily felt herself blush as the younger woman smiled her way. "We'd love to be there, thank you."

Michelle quickly backed out of the gate. "Ok then, I'll see you tomorrow at seven?"

Emily smiled wide. "We'll see you then."

...

The blonde's hair sprawled silkenly beneath her on the pillow she laid on, her breath coming out in pants. She felt her skin begin to crawl when the cop beside her rubbed his hand over her bare stomach, sweat beginning to stick to her skin. "Shouldn't you be getting home?"

"Not at all, chere. I don't have to be into work until nine, tomorrow."

Jennifer gave a sigh before moving out of the older man's reach, leaning over to get her phone from the bedside table. "I have to call the kids."

The cop sighed before slouching back against the pillows behind him. "They're with their mother, chere."

Jennifer's head whipped around, her eyes glaring over to the man beside her. "I am their mother." 


	5. Chapter 5

"Yes I'm staying here."

"But you can't be serious. We need you here."

"I'm sorry Hotch, I don't know what to tell you."

"Emily, you are one of the BAU's finest agents."

The brunette woman sighed as she ran a brush through her curling hair. "I'm sorry Hotch I am, but I can't stay in Virginia knowing Jen is there and knowing that I might bump into her somehow. I'll end up going back to her and I can't do that."

"Emily I understand that, but this was your dream job and you're just uprooting the family and leaving? This is your life."

Emily sucked her lips between her teeth, adding the smallest amount of blush to her cheeks. "That's also why I left. Trust me Hotch I love you and I love the job, but I love my boys more. I need to do my best to keep them my top priority."

"...Something JJ wouldn't do."

The brunette gave a laugh. "Now you're getting it."

There was a sigh at the other end of the phone. "So what do you plan on doing in New York."

"Oh you know, smoke some dope, party every night, go and sleep with random women..."

"Emily."

The brunette smiled, looking down to the phone that sat on her dresser. "I got an offer to teach psychology at the local high school."

"You're gonna be teaching? You?"

Emily's eyebrows furrowed as she slipped her turtle neck over her head. "What are you insinuating here, Hotch?"

"Well... you're just not a people person."

"I am too!"

"Alright, no need to yell!"

"You're yelling now too!"

"You started it."

Emily let out a laugh, biting her lip as her finger slid gracefully over the screen of her phone. She felt her eyes soften, her heart breaking at the chuckle on the other end of the line. "I'm gonna miss you."

"I'm gonna miss you too, Em. Remember to call."

"Hey, the phone works both ways, bud."

Hotch gave a laugh, lounging back on his bed with his book in his lap. "So can you actually smoke dope?"

Emily felt her eyes widen as she made her way out of her bedroom. "That's all you got from this heartfelt conversation? Really?" She snorted, almost skipping her way down the stairs of her new home. "Well we can finish this conversation later, ok? I have to get the boys ready for dinner."

"By the sounds of it you're not staying in."

"I am not." She smiled against the phone, gesturing for her children to get away from the kitchen table and come to her. "Dinner tonight is courtesy of my new, very attractive next door neighbor Michelle."

"Ooh now I get it. You're staying up there for a lady."

"I am not! She came over yesterday to welcome us here, and she invited the boys and I over to dinner with her and her daughter."

"And how long have you been divorced?"

Emily rolled her eyes as she zipped up both of her boys in their jackets. "Oh be quiet. Its not a date."

"Yeah you keep saying that."

"I will continue to say it because it is true!"

Hotch smiled, letting his son crawl up onto his bed and snuggle into his side. "Ok well have a nice dinner and tell the boys I say hi."

Emily bit back a laugh when Conner's eyes brightened at the sound of Hotch's voice at the other end. "You guys say goodnight to Uncle Aaron and Jack."

Henry smiled wide at the phone in his mother's hand. "Jack!"

"Unca' Aawon?"

Emily laughed gently, kissing both of her sons' heads. "Well there you go! A goodnight from the Prentiss boys."

Hotch bit his lip as he laid back in his bed. "You sent those photos to your lawyer?"

Emily's smile immediately faltered as she stood up. "Yes I did."

"Good. Have fun, ok?"

The brunette wiped a tear from her cheek, nodding against the phone. "Will do, boss."

...

Jennifer's head bent back as she downed another glass of her ex-wife's favorite wine. "I mean what am I suppose to do?"

The busty blond beside her friend gave a sigh. "Maybe pack up like you're suppose to? Move out and into another house like you're suppose to?"

The mother of two looked to her co-worker with wide eyes. "What? You're suppose to be on my side, Pen!"

"Since when is it my job to pick a side?"

"Since you're my best friend!"

Penelope sighed as she stood from the couch, taking the empty wine bottle into the kitchen. "I'm Emmy's best friend too, Jayje. I'm sorry but I'm not picking a side."

"Come on!"

The technical analyst groaned before stomping her way back into the living room. "Do you love your kids?"

Jennifer looked up to her friend through blurry eyes. "What?"

"Its a damn question!"

The blond quickly nodded her head. "Of course I do."

Penelope angrily nodded. "And I doubt you want little Emmy to get full custody."

"No!"

"Then you get off your ass and do what the court ordered. Get your stuff moved out, get a child proofed house of your own and get joined custody of those boys!"

...

Emily smiled to the brunette that sat beside her, swallowing another bite of her neighbor's chocolate cake. "I swear, I'm definitely staying here in New York."

"Then why does your ex-wife need to move out?"

The older woman gave a shrug. "My lawyer had a talk with the judge who issued our divorce papers and he thought it would be best for us both to get new places so the boys wouldn't be more comfortable in one home than the other."

"Ahh." Michelle smiled as she watched her new neighbor take another bite of her dessert. "Well your boys are just a treat. They're so well behaved."

Emily felt herself blush as the brunette's hand inched just a little closer to hers. "Thank you. Your little Olivia is so sweet and so beautiful to look at. She looks just like her mother."

Michelle nodded her head. "That's sweet, thank you. We should get together again soon." The younger woman than quickly held up a hand, a nervous smile spreading over her face. "For the kids."

Emily bit her lip. "I'm sure they'd love that."

The younger brunette smiled. "Good."


	6. Chapter 6

Jennifer looked to her lawyer, playing with a strand of her hair while watching the other woman rifle through her briefcase before sitting down beside her. "Everything ok?"

Taylor Brees looked to the blond at her side before nodding. "Just making sure everything is in order." She smiled when she looked down to the photo of her client's two sons down on the desk they sat at. "Your boys are so beautiful."

The younger woman nodded her head, looking down to her watch. "Thank you."

"You alright?"

Jennifer let out a breath. "Why isn't she here yet? Do you think something's wrong?"

Taylor's eyebrows furrowed. "Why do you care? If she doesn't show, you get custody."

The mother of two glared at her lawyer, daggers being shot from her eyes. "She has my kids in the car with her. Of course I care."

The older woman laughed. "Its obvious you still care for her."

Jennifer rolled her eyes. "She's my ex-wife and the mother of my boys. Should I not care for her?"

The lawyer gave a small shake of her head, moving her briefcase aside so she could straighten out her papers. "That's so not what I meant."

Heads turned at the sound of the court doors opening. Jennifer felt a smile fall on her lips when her boys came running in, their little feet clammoring against the marble floors as they entered. Her eyes immediately darkened at the sight of her ex, a brunette woman strapped to her arm. "Who the hell is that?"

Emily smiled nervously to the woman at her side, following her lawyer up the alise to the desk they were suppose to sit at. "Thank you for coming with me. I really need the support."

Michelle nodded, her free hand rubbing up and down the brunette's back. "Of course, Emily; anything for you. I'm gonna be sitting right behind you, ok?" She smiled, stopping the older woman in her tracks and letting their lips come together. "And maybe once this is done, I can treat my beautiful girlfriend to a victory dinner?"

Emily felt her heart beat faster before she gave a nod, a smile spreading over her lips as she leaned in to kiss her girlfriend once more. "That sounds perfect."

Andrew Phelps cleared his throat behind his client, setting his briefcase down and smiling at the pair. "Not that you two aren't adorable, but we're about to get started."

Michelle reluctantly removed her hands from the older brunette and ushered the two boys into the seats behind their mother's place. "Come on, boys."

Emily took a deep breath as she sat down. She smoothed down her skirt and looked straight ahead as the judge came out of his chambers, feeling the eyes of her ex on her and her lawyer.

"Everyone please rise."

Judge Green nodded to the patrons before him before he sat, gavel in hand. "You may sit." He coughed as he tried to get comfortable, picking up the paper before him. "Trial for custody between Emily Marilyn Prentiss and Jennifer Jean Prentiss for their sons Henry and Conner Prentiss."

Andrew nodded. "Yes your honor."

"Well I've already received the documents of abuse from Emily and her lawyer."

Taylor Brees' eyes bulged as she stood from her seat. "Your honor, I object."

Judge Green sighed. "On what grounds?"

"My client has never hit her children."

The judge narrowed his gaze on the lawyer. "I wasn't talking about the children."

Taylor looked down to the blond at her side. "Jennifer?"

The blond bit her lip before shaking her head.

The lawyer huffed. "Your honor, if possible I would like to see the documents."

The bailiff brought the folder over to the lawyer, smirking at her shocked expression as she went through the photos and statement. "Enough proof for you?"

Judge Green cleared his throat, his gavel held tight in his hands. "Jennifer Prentiss, have you moved out of your old home and moved into another?"

"Yes your honor."

"And its child proofed?"

"Yes your honor."

"And is William LaMontagne Jr. associated with you any longer?"

Jennifer frowned. "I'm sorry?"

"I have been informed that the cheating you did on your wife was with him, and I've come to the conclusion that he's a bad influence on you. Have you seen him over the course of the past month?"

The blond bit her lip before nodding. "Yes your honor."

Judge Green raised his eyebrows. "And what did you two do in your time together?"

"We slept together, your honor."

The judge sighed before turning his gaze to the other mother, clearly having had enough of the blond woman. "Emily, since your move to New York are your children happy?"

Emily smiled to the older man. "Yes sir."

"Are they enrolled in school?"

"Kindergarten and daycare, your honor."

"And you've gotten yourself a new job?"

"Yes your honor."

"Is it steady?"

"Yes your honor. I'm teaching psychology at a local high school."

Judge Green nodded his head. "And your girlfriend Ms. Banks, do the children enjoy her company?"

Emily felt herself blush. "Very much so, sir."

"And have your injuries from Jennifer's assaults healed?"

"They have, your honor."

Judge Green smiled to the brunette before nodding his head. "Well by all the evidence here, I think its clear on what should happen. Emily Marilyn Prentiss is granted full custody of both Henry and Conner Prentiss. Jenniger Prentiss will be given supervised visitation rights for every other Saturday if her job permits starting in one month." He gently slammed the gavel against the wood of his stand. "You are dismissed."

Emily smiled wide before shooting out of her seat, letting her boys tackle her to the ground in a hug. She quickly took both boys into her arms, leaning forward to press kisses to their foreheads and her girlfrien's lips. "I knew we'd win."

Jennifer wiped a tear from her cheek. "I can't believe it."

Michelled quickly made her way over to her girlfriend's ex, smiling as best she could as she held out a hand. "Michelle Banks. Nice to meet you."

The blond sniffled before standing from her seat, grabbing her purse from the floor and pushing past the other woman. "Go to hell."


	7. Chapter 7

Emily's dark eyes flickered from the glass of wine in her hand and the crackling fire, watching the small embers fly from the logs and hit the ground. She sighed in content when her girlfriend pulled her closer into her side, and she gently laid her head on the younger woman's shoulder. "I just don't know if she's been drinking, or maybe she'll be really angry and come here and possibly scare the kids. I don't need her ruining our weekend."

Michelle softly cooed into her girlfriend's ear, stroking her dark hair with her fingers. "I know honey, I know. But if she comes here and is acting in a way that you don't see fit, you're allowed tell her to leave."

"And what if she goes to her lawyer and complains?"

The younger brunette smiled. "Then you go to yours and tell him your reason for kicking her out. If the judge finds it valid, then you're in the clear." She pressed a kiss to the older mother's temple, tightening her hold on her girlfriend when she moved to look at her. "Everything's going to be just fine."

Emily smiled to the brunette before leaning in to kiss her lips. "You have a really good way of cheering me up." She set her wine glass down before turning back to her girlfriend, wrapping her arms around her neck. Her teeth nibbled into the flesh of her bottom lip, fluttering her eyelashes just the way she knew the younger woman liked.

"Don't do that," Michelle groaned. She rubbed her thighs together to try and ease the tension near her center, her hands gripping at the brunette's waist. "You're really making me want to kiss you. "

Emily felt herself chuckle as she moved closer to her neighbor, bringing her lips to brush over the other mother's. "So do it."

Michelle practically lunged forward, causing the brunette woman opposite her to fall back on the cushions.

The mother of two moaned against her girlfriend's lips, letting the other woman's mouth plunder hers. She moved her hands to grip the younger brunette's thighs when she straddled her, and Emily bit her lip when Michelle's tongue trailed down her slender neck, dipping behind her earlobe to nip at the tender spot there. "Michie..."

The younger woman gave a laugh, feeling Emily's right hand move from her leg and tangle in her hair. She kissed her way down her girlfriend's neck, licking a trail down into the 'v' of her shirt and kissing the swells of her breasts, her fingers sliding up her girl's shirt to tickle at her taunt stomach.

Emily gasped at the feeling of her girlfriend's tongue beginning to lick at her nipples through her shirt. "Where in the hell did you learn how to do that?" She slid her hands down the other mother's back and squeezed her ass through her jeans.

"Emmy!"

*RING*

The brunette couple groaned at the sound of the doorbell and slowly broke apart, pressing a kiss to one another's lips. Emily quickly jumped from her spot and ran towards the stairs of her home. "Do you mind getting that?"

"Where are you going?"

Emily smirked, turning back to look at her girlfriend. "Well my shirt got a little wet; I thought I'd change so Jen doesn't notice what just almost happened here."

Michelle felt a grin grow on her face, her eyes following the older woman's ass as she ran up the stairs. She quickly got up from the couch and made her way to her girlfriend's front door, smiling her best smile when she saw the blond on the porch. "Hello Jennifer."

The blond frowned when she saw the other woman in the doorway. "What are you doing here?"

"Emily thought we could all get together and have a nice day. I'm here to support her and the kids."

Jennifer's eyes darkened as she watched the brunette woman fix her shirt. "And by 'support' my ex-wife, you mean fuck her when the kids aren't around."

Michelle sighed, letting her girlfriend' s ex through the front door. "Not that its any of your business, but Emily and I haven't slept together yet."

"Oh please."

The brunette woman frowned, following the frustrated mother into the living room. "Why are you getting so heated? Today is suppose to be a nice day; its your first day back with the children."

Jennifer threw her purse to the floor, glaring over the couch to the other woman. "I'm still trying to understand why she's with you!"

"Excuse me?"

Her blue eyes sparkled as she crossed her arms over her chest. "She was always into blondes."

~Flashback~

Jennifer tightened her hold on the basket in her hand as she made her way down the next aisle in the store, searching the shelves for her son's formula. She ran her fingers through her platinum hair before grabbing a can off the shelf, her head turning to see a brunette woman at the other end of the aisle. She furrowed her brow as she looked the attractive woman up and down, a smile crossing her face when she noticed the brunette woman sneakily glancing up from the juice in her hand and over to her. The pale brunette was biting down on her lower lip, her dark eyes flickering back down to the juice in her hand when she saw the woman she had been checking out was now looking her way.

The blond smirked, putting the formula down into her basket before making her way towards the strange woman.

The older woman felt her heart beat faster when the blond she had been staring at started walking towards her, and she quickly turned to face the shelves and put back the juice that had been in her hand.

Jennifer smiled as she walked up right behind the other woman, putting a hand on the white sweater that covered her shoulders and leaning up to whisper in her ear. "Not that I'm not flattered, but I'd really like to know why such a beautiful woman would be looking at me."

The brunette's breath hitched at the feeling of the younger woman's breath hot on her ear. She slowly turned around to face the blond, her dark eyes looking into the other woman's, very aware of how close their bodies now were. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."

The younger woman gave a small laugh. "Did you not hear me? I'm flattered." She bit down on her lip as she took a step forward, eyeing the brunette woman's plump lips. "What's your name?"

"I'm Emily."

Jennifer felt a familiar warmth in her stomach when Emily's dark eyes looked so deeply into hers. "Emily. Sexy name." She held out her hand. "I'm Jennifer."

Emily gently shook the younger woman's hand. "Hi."

"So why were you looking at me, Emily?"

The brunette woman silently gulped, her face flushing when the younger woman not so subtely took a peek at her chest. "...I just thought you were pretty."

Jennifer smiled at the older woman. "You think I'm pretty?"

Emily jerkily nodded her head.

The blond licked her bottom lip, taking another step closer so their chests were barely touching. "Well I think you're beautiful."

Emily's eyelids fluttered, her jaw dropping slightly as a shiver ran down her spine. She quickly averted her eyes, looking down to the other woman's basket and smiling as best she could. "Do you have a child?"

Jennifer nodded to the older woman. "A baby boy; almost five months."

The brunette felt her heart warm. "Oh he must be so precious."

"He is." She smiled, thinking of her son at home. "He is. His name is Henry."

"I'd love to meet him."

Jennifer arched a brow at the older woman, feeling a grin spread over her lips. "Oh really?"

Emily gently bit into her bottom lip. "If that would be ok with you."

"You have a pen?"

The older woman hesitated before reaching into her bag and taking out a pen. Her eyes widened when Jennifer yanked at her arm, pulling up her sleeve and using the pen to write a number on her alabaster skin.

"That's my cell; I'd love for you to call me." The blond winked. "If that would be ok with you."

~End of Flashback~

The blond quickly wiped a tear from her cheek as the memory faded away, her blue eyes looking to the staircase and watching as her ex made her way down the stairs. She felt herself smile; the brunette woman was as beautiful as ever. "Hi Em."

Emily bit her lip, stopping in the middle of the stairs and looking to the younger woman standing in front of her couch opposite her girlfriend. "Hey." The brunette shivered at the sight of the other woman. She was wearing the same black blouse that she wore the first day they met. "The kids are napping, but they should be up soon. Would you like something to eat? I bought some potato salad." The blonde's favorite.

Jennifer gave a nod of the head. "I'd love some."

Emily slowly made her way down the stairs, leading both her girlfriend and her ex into the dining room.

Today was gonna be a long day.


	8. Chapter 8

The brunette mother eyed her ex as she played with their children in the living room of her house. Conner had finally given up on holding his tiny grudge against his younger mother when she gave him the biggest hug she could, and Henry couldn't be more thrilled. The blond looked up from the kids and the toys they scattered on the carpet and gave the older woman an award winning smile.

"So you two met in a supermarket?"

Emily rolled her eyes, looking up to her girlfriend from her lap which she was using as a pillow. "Yes we did. It was the only one open for Easter weekend and it just happened to be the one down the block from her house."

Michelle gave a small nod, her fingers rubbing gently across the older woman's stomach. "And did you call her?"

The older brunette nodded her head. "The moment I got home." She smiled wide at her son when he came scrambling up to the side of the couch. She gently picked him up from the ground and laid him down on her, smoothing down his dark hair as he laid his head against her breasts. "She invited me over to her house and two hours later we were," she gently covered her son's tiny ears and looked up to the younger woman, "having relations."

Michelle looked down to her girlfriend, her hands now laying on both Emily and Conner's heads. "Well that was fast."

Emily gave a laugh. "Yeah, that's one way to explain it. But anyway, the next day I got a call from the BAU and found out I got the job."

"Where Jennifer worked."

"Right."

Michelle's eyebrows furrowed. "That was allowed?"

Emily's forehead scrunched as she shook her head. "Not exactly, but we didn't tell anybody about our relationship."

"If you two could just speak about me just a little louder, that would be great."

Both brunettes turned their heads to look at the woman that sat on the ground, Henry sitting and squirming in her lap.

Emily bit her lip. "Sorry."

Jennifer gave a small shake of the head, turning her attention to her ex's new play thing. "We weren't always as bad as we were at the end of our marriage, you know. We were happy once."

~Flashback~

Emily groaned as she tried to sit up her bed, her hand going to her aching back. She sucked her lips into her mouth, doing her best to block out the pain. "Jen?" The brunette woman was met with silence. "Jennifer!"

The blond came rushing into the bedroom, her sad eyes going to the older woman who sat in their bed. She sat down beside her wife and softly cupped her sweating forehead. "Honey you're burning up."

Emily held back a cry as the younger woman planted a kiss to her cheek. "I wanna go to the doctor."

Jennifer's eyes widened. "What?"

The older woman quickly nodded her head. "I have the chills and my back is really hurting." She looked to her wife with watering eyes. "I think Carrie is coming early."

The blond immediately jumped off her spot on the bed and ran into the closet to get the suitcase for the pregnant woman. "Are you sure?"

Emily shakily nodded her head, carefully getting herself up from the bed. She bent down to slip on her favorite boots and took her sweatshirt from the back of her vanity chair. "Jen honey calm down."

"Calm down? Emily you're going into labor!"

The brunette actually felt herself smile as she watched her wife sprint to every corner of the room and pick up something that obviously wasn't needed from every spot they lay on the floor. Who needs rain boots to give birth? "Everything is gonna be ok."

Jennifer nodded her head, shoving the older woman's favorite jewlery into the suitcase. "Exactly honey; just keep telling yourself that."

"Jenny? Come here."

The blond looked up from the bag she was repacking and saw her glowing wife standing beside their bed. A small smile spread over her lips and she slowly made her way over to the brunette woman, letting her body be taken into the older woman's arms. "Yes?"

Emily did her best to smile despite the pain. "Honey, we're gonna have another baby. You don't know how happy you've made me, but if you go crazy on me now I might just need to slap you."

Jennifer laughed, nodding her head and pressing a sweet kiss to the brunette's quivering lips. "I love you, you know that?"

Emily let out a watery chuckle, letting her forehead rest against her wife's. "I love you too."

~End of Flashback~

Michelle frowned, watching as her girlfriend smiled to her ex, the memory floating through her ears. "Carrie?"

Emily's eyes closed as she laughed, hearing her ex-wife's melding with hers. "The OB/GYN told us it was a girl."

The blond smiled at the memory. "They couldn't find his little private because his leg was always blocking it in the exams."

Emily smiled down to the boy laying on her. "You were a little trickster, weren't you?"

Conner looked up to his mother, his head tilting to the side. "Mommy?"

The brunette laughed, pressing a kiss to her son's head.

Michelle felt a pang of jealousy strike her heart when the blond and her girlfriend shared a smile. "Well were you and Conner ok? Did everything go as planned?"

Emily smiled up to the younger woman who's lap she laid on. "Everything was fine. Conner was about a month early, but very healthy. I, on the other hand, had to get a couple stitches because I tore, and it probably isn't as attractive down there as it used to be."

The younger brunette chuckled before leaning down to capture her girlfriend's lips with hers. "I think I'll be the judge of that."

Jennifer's eyes darkened at the kissing women on the couch, quickly shaking her head and putting on a smile. "Come on Emily, I've told you before that you look beautiful as always." The blond felt herself blush. "Every part of you is beautiful."

Emily frowned, looking over to her smiling ex-wife with confused eyes. "Ok. Thank you, I think." She shook her head before standing from her spot, hiking her youngest son up onto her hip. "You ready for a snack, bud?"

Jennifer quickly stood from her seat on the floor and helped Henry stand, taking his hand in hers. "I'll help you."

The brunette woman bit her lip before nodding her head, sending a loving glance to her girl who remained seated before leading her ex into the kitchen. "Just get some fruit snacks from the pantry, ok? Both of them will eat 'em."

The younger mother of two nodded, setting Henry on the counter just beside his brother. "So how's your teaching job going?"

"Its going."

The blond watched as her ex gave a curt nod of the head, her back still turned as she searched through the fridge. She bit her lip before turning to the large door behind her; probably the pantry. Her eyes widened. "Emily?"

The older woman turned, her jaw dropping open when she saw the dress hanging just before the eyes of Jennifer. She quickly ran over to the closet and slammed the door shut.

"Emi-"

"Save it." Emily shook her head.

Jennifer's eyes saddened. "That's the dress I bought you."

The brunette woman sighed before looking into the crystal blue eyes of her ex-wife. "I didn't want it near my other dresses for now, ok? I'm getting everything else dry cleaned before I put it upstairs." She gave a small shrug. "Its special."

The younger woman watched as the beautiful brunette made her way back to the fridge, a frown outlining her lips at the sound of Emily's girlfriend talking on the phone in the next room. She ground her teeth together before walking over to the other large door in the room, opening it up and effectively finding the pantry. "So what do you tell people when they see your scar?"

Emily's body froze at the question, her eyes widening at the casualty of her ex's voice. She felt her heart beat pick up as she shook her head, her voice cracking as she answered. "If anyone has noticed, they haven't said anything about it so I haven't said anything to them."

Jennifer's eyes crinkled, looking through the pantry for the fruit snacks for the boys. "No one's noticed? It's pretty visible."

Emily's jaw clenched before she spun around, her eyes hardening on the blond woman who closed the pantry door. "No! No one has asked me about it because no one has seen it! I hate it, Jennifer! I hate it!"

~Flashback~

Emily threw her head back against the pillow beneath her, arching up against her wife as lips pressed against her naked chest. "Mmm...Jen, baby please."

The younger woman laughed against her wife's skin, the vibrations causing the other woman's body to jolt beneath hers. "Hey now, I thought this was my fantasy we were acting out."

The brunette moaned as the younger woman's tongue flattened and swiped slowly across her nipple. "Come on Jenny."

"We agreed tonight was my night." The blond bit down on the swell of her wife's breast, blowing against the wet trail she left on the pale woman's skin. "For right now, you don't get to be in charge. I do. If it gets to be too much, then you just say the safe word ok?"

Emily let her eyes close, letting out a shaky breath before nodding her head. "Ok. Ok, let's go."

Jennifer smiled as she lifted her head, letting her lips mingle with the older woman's. Her right hand reached blindly to the nightstand and took the red candle stick in her hand.

Emily gasped at the feeling of the tip of the fake cock her wife had strapped to her roughly enter her, her eyes popping open and looking to the lit candle in the younger woman's hand. "What are you doing?"

The blond gave a wicked laugh, her eyes darkening as she thrust back into her wife. "Shh baby."

The older woman's body rocked back against the mattress as the blond thrust into her harder and harder. She felt pain course through her when wax dripped from the candle and hit her skin, and the brunette let out an ear piercing scream. Her eyes began to water as the wax continued to drip onto her skin like raindrops from hell, her wife mercilessly pounding into her aching cunt. "Jennifer!"

"That's right," Jennifer panted as she thrust into the brunette once more, the candle shaking in her hand. "Come on, baby."

Emily cried out as the wax continued to pour down onto the same spot of her slender neck, turning the pale flesh a burning pink and red. Her hands pushed at her wife above her, her mouth opening to say that one word that would stop all of this torture.

But nothing came out.

Emily's eyes widened. She had forgotten the safe word.

~End of Flashback~

Emily had tears streaming from her doe eyes, her gaze hard on the blond before her. "You never stopped Jen. You never stopped!"

The younger woman bit her lip, eyeing that tear drop scar just below the brunette's ear. "Emily you know I'm sorry. If I knew to stop, you know I would have stopped sweeth-"

"No! No, you don't get to call me that anymore, Jen!" She felt her chin tremble as she shook her head, sorrow seeping through her voice. "I'm not your sweetheart anymore, Jen; I'm Michie's."

Henry's tiny mouth dropped open. "Mommy you yelling."

Jennifer's head turned sharply to her eldest son. "Henry Jason not now!"

Emily felt her heart stop right then and there, her eyes widening at the name that slipped from her ex's lips. "What did you just call him?"

The blond widened her eyes, her heart dropping down into her stomach. "J-Jared. Henry Jared."

Emily let out an angry sob, pointing an accusing finger at her ex. "You forgot your own son's name. Are you fucking kidding me?"

Jennifer felt her own tears well in her eyes at her ex-wife's whispered curse. "Its just 'cause I'm stressed, ok? I'm sorry, Em. I'm sor-"

"No."

The younger woman looked sadly to the brunette. "Emily?"

Emily sniffled, lifting her head and looking determinedly to the blond mother of two. "Get out." She took in a deep breath as she felt Michelle's arm comfortingly wrap around her waist. "I want you out of my house." She let her eyes tiredly gaze down to the floor, her body shaking with heartbroken sobs as the front door slammed, her eldest son's whimpers echoing in her ear.


	9. Chapter 9

That was it. The last test paper for the day. Emily let out a relieved sigh as she set the test into the finished pile on her desk. As much as she loved her new job and every kid that walked into her classroom, grading tests and making lesson plans was just as bad as reviewing files at the BAU.

Maybe even worse.

Emily checked her watch as she rolled her desk chair back. Fifteen minutes until her first parent was supposed to come in for their confrence; just enough time for her to run to the bathroom and call her girlfriend to see how the kids were doing.

Her brown eyes flickered over to her phone as it began to ring, and she quickly picked it up and placed it against her ear, leaning back in her chair and closing her eyes for a much needed rest. "Emily Prentiss."

"Hey Em."

Emily's eyes popped open at the gentle voice at the other end of the phone. "Jennifer?"

The blond on the other end smiled gently at the sound of her ex's voice. "Yeah hi. How are you?"

The older woman leaned foreward and placed her free hand on her desk, her pointer finger circling around one of the dates on the calender laying on her desk. That day's date. "I'm fine, how are you?"

Jennifer nodded her head. "I'm good, thanks. I wanted to wish you a happy birthday."

Emily felt her heart skip a beat as she listened to the blond on the other end quietly begin to sing her 'Happy Birthday'. The older woman let out a small laugh as her ex sang the ending notes off key, smiling at the memory of her first birthday celebrated with the blond and having her sing that as they lay in bed. "That was sweet. Made my ears bleed, but sweet."

Jennifer laughed, sitting herself down on the couch in her new home; a home that never quite felt complete. "Well I didn't have the chance to really buy you anything, so..."

"Oh no, there's no need to do that."

"Well I've kind of done it for five years straight, Em. Its kind of hard to break that kind of tradition."

Emily bit her lip, absently nodding her head as she listened to her ex's breathing on the other end. "Yeah. I just realized this morning that I wasn't gonna get that famous Jennifer Jean breakfast or that massage you'd do your best to give me before bed."

The younger woman nodded, her eyes casting down to her lap. "Or that special bath." She did her best to smile at the laugh on the other end. She swiped her tongue across her bottom lip much like the brunette always did, imagining just what the older woman was doing at that moment. "I miss you, Em."

Emily felt tears well in her eyes and she gently nodded her head, doing her best to stop her quivering lips. "I know you do." She took a deep breath, looking up to the ceiling to blink her tears away. "I miss you too, Jen."

~Flashback~

Emily slowly awoke from her peaceful sleep, groggily opening up her eyes and looking to the source of the movement on her bed. She frowned at the blurry blond figure kneeling beside her and feebily pushed her away. "Too early."

The younger woman laughed before gently straddling the tired woman. She bent down and wiped the hair from the brunette's eyes, pressing small kisses to her forehead. "Come on, its time to wake up, baby."

Emily tiredly fought against the hands trying to shake at her shoulders. She abruptly turned her body, throwing the blond woman off of her and back onto the mattress. "Go away. Too early."

Jennifer huffed, getting up off of the bed and making her way to the closet. She hushed the small boys who came bustling out and helped them both onto the bed.

Henry helped his almost two year old brother to lay down just beside their brunette, him cuddled into her chest as Henry nuzzled his nose against the birthday girl's. "Morning mommy!"

Emily's eyes popped open at the sudden loud noise, a tired smile spreading over her face at the sight of her blond son. She cupped her eldest's cheek before looking down to the brunette boy resting his head against her chest. "Good morning you guys."

Conner looked up to his mother and swiped his small fingers against her chin. "Mommy."

Jennifer smiled to the small family cuddled up on the bed, taking a step forward and reluctantly pulled Henry up off of the bed and up onto her hip. "As beautiful as this moment is, I'm gonna have to break it up."

Emily looked up to her wife with a pout, taking the toddler against her and settling his small body on her chest. "Aww why?"

"Doesn't someone want their birthday present?"

Emily immediately shot up from her spot on the bed, cradling her son against her as she shuffled out of the bedroom, following the younger woman through the hall. "I'm coming!" She smiled when she saw a bow sitting on a manilla folder, and her dark eyes quickly shot over to her wife. "What is it? Did I win a vacation or something?"

The blond scoffed as the family sat down at the kitchen table. "I hope you think this is better than that."

The birthday girl stuck out her tongue before opening the folder, sliding the papers out and into her hands. Her eyes slowly scanned over the words written there before widening, looking up to her wife with her jaw dropped. "Are you serious?"

Jennifer bit her lip, nodding to the papers in the brunette's hand. "I am. I hope you'll accept."

Emily felt tears welling up in her eyes. "These are adoption papers. You want me to adopt Henry?"

The blond smiled wide. "We'll be a real family, Em."

Emily let out a small cry before jumping from her seat, pulling her wife up out of her chair so she could wrap her arms around her. She pressed a warm kiss to the younger woman's cheek, smiling into her shoulder when she felt strong arms wrap around her waist. "The best birthday present, Jen. The best."

~End of Flashback~

Emily covered her mouth with a shaking hand. "I couldn't of asked for anything more, Jen."

"Well I already had adopted Conner, and I knew you always thought of Henry as a son."

Emily bit her lip. "He is my son. He's our son."

Jennifer smiled at the passionate crack in her ex's voice. "They both are." She flicked her tongue over her teeth. "So I have to go, but tell the boys I love them ok?"

"Of course, Jennifer."

"...I love you. Happy Birthday."

Emily didn't even try to fight the tears as the younger woman hung up the phone. She felt her confused heart break in two and she immediately broke down, her elbows resting on the desk so she could put her head in her hands and cry.

"Ms. Prentiss?"

The brunette quickly started wiping at her tears, looking to the classroom doorway to see one of her smartest students standing there with their mother. "Charlotte hi." She stood from her seat, putting on her best smile as she stuck out her hand to the redheaded woman before her. "Mrs. Zimmer, please come sit." 


	10. Chapter 10

Michelle looked up from the book in her lap at the sound of the front door and smiled when she saw her girlfriend hanging up her coat in the foyer. "There's the birthday girl."

Emily groaned as she sluggishly made her way into her home. She set her bag down beside the couch before taking a seat, her eyes looking to the clock on the cable box. "Oh my God, its almost seven-thirty and I just got home?" The brunette huffed before falling sideways into her girlfriend, ignoring the grunt from the younger brunette as her head softly landed in the crook of her neck. "I'm too tired to be alive right now."

Michelle let out a small laugh, letting her hands softly trail down the brunette's woman's side and give a gentle squeeze to her ass, forgetting about the book in her lap. "Does that mean you're too tired to open your present?"

The birthday girl's head popped up, her eyes smiling mischeiviously to her girlfriend. "Oh I'm definitely not too tired for that."

The younger brunette bit her lip before helping her girlfriend stand from the couch, distancing herself from the mother of two and taking five steps back. She moved her hands to her waist and let her fingers dance at the knot that was tied to keep her robe from falling open.

Emily's eyebrows furrowed, her finger pointing to the silken robe the younger woman had on. "Is that mine?"

"Mmhmm." She took a bow from the coffee table and placed it on her head.

The older brunette woman felt herself laugh at the goofy grin on the younger woman's face. "What exactly are you doing?"

Michelle grinned before untying the robe's belt, letting the red silk fall from her shoulders and slip down to pool at her feet. "I'm your birthday present."

Emily's eyes widened at the sight of the naked woman before her. Her jaw dropped open as she tried to find the words to say to the beautiful woman in front of her, but all that would come was a small shake of the head. "The children..."

"Are all upstairs and playing with their toys. They'll be distracted until bedtime."

Emily felt tears in her eyes as she looked to her beautiful girlfriend, doing her best to cherish the gift that had been given to her, but all she could think of was that familiar blond woman. She snuck her way into the birthday girl's mind, letting her remember the anniversery where she had done the exact same thing. Emily shook her head, closing her eyes as the younger woman walked up to her, putting her hands on her shoulders and rubbing her naked breasts against her blouse. "Michie..."

Michelle bent her head and pressed a kiss to the older woman's throat, slowly unbuttoning the woman's dress shirt and letting it fall to the floor. "Let me love you, baby."

The brunette birthday girl cried before shoving her girlfriend away. She quickly shook her head, wiping the back of her hand under her nose as her tears continued to fall. "I can't. I'm sorry but I can't."

The younger woman sighed gently before sitting both herself and her girlfriend down after picking the robe back up off of the floor to cover herself, settling the shedded blouse on the other mother's shoulders. "Emmy, what's wrong?"

Emily slowly shook her head, letting the younger brunette soothingly run her slender fingers through her curly hair. "I'm sorry Michie, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to ruin the night like that."

Michelle shook her head, pressing a comforting kiss to the older woman's temple.

The birthday girl let out a sigh, frowning as she looked down to her shaking hands in her lap. "Its just...Jen did the same thing for me once."

Michelle's face immediately fell, reluctantly removing her hands from the older woman. "Jennifer. Right."

Emily sniffled, shaking her head and turning to her girlfriend. Her hands softly cupped Michelle's face and looking into those bright eyes that she had fallen for. "You have to understand how hard I'm trying to get over her, but she was the first woman I have ever loved."

The younger woman took her girlfriend's hands in hers, settling them into her lap with agentle kiss to the knuckles. "I get that."

"She really understood me, and I thought I was just so lucky to have a beautiful woman like her in my life. She was the light of my life for such a long time and she guided me through some really dark times."

"But she hurt you!" Michelle's head vigorously shook, her hands tightening around the birthday girl's. "She yelled and belittled! She hit you, Emily!"

The older woman's eyes hardened, her jaw clenching at the truthed accusations being thrown her way. "She didn't mean to; she was just trying to releave some stress."

"The reason doesn't matter."

"You don't know the whole story!"

Michelle's eyes softened on the broken woman before her. "Then tell me the story, Emily."

Emily immediately pulled her hands from the younger brunette's, her walls stacking up once again inside of her as she turned away from her girlfriend, her hands buttoning her shirt back up to cover one of the most vulnerable parts of her body. "Its not only my story to tell." She sighed at the feeling of her partner's eyes on her, and she quickly wiped away the remainer of her tears before turning back to the other mother. "Fine, I'll tell you what happened."


	11. Chapter 11

~Flashback~

Jennifer's blue eyes shot over to her wife that was restrained to a chair, similar to hers, directly opposite her across the small attic. Her heart broke at the sounds of the brunette woman's pained screams, tears running down her cheeks as she watched the older woman fight against her restraints, doing her best to get away from the men standing around her.

The couple had been abducted from outside the shopping mall after buying their new one month old son a new set of onesies. That was three days before the torture in the attic. The married women had been beated and tortured and given the minimalist amount of water, Emily being the only one of the two to get food because she was breastfeeding.

"Let go of her!"

Emily tilted her head away from one of her captors as he began to unbutton her shirt. Her wrists were taped behind her back and her ankles to the legs of the chair, a rope around her midsection so she couldn't get away.

Jennifer's chants for her wife's freedom became louder and louder, her body doing its best to shoot forward and relieve herself from her restraints. "Stop touching her! Stop it!"

The brunette woman's eyes popped open at the feeling of lips and teeth nipping at her almost exposed chest, her lips quivering when hands went to unclasp her bra that hooked in the front. "Please.."

The man kneeling in front of the restrained woman smiled, his rotting teeth flashing up to her as he let her breasts free from her bra, his hands grabbing at both with his hands as they swung. "That's right baby. Beg for me to pleasure you."

Emily cried as the balding man padded at her breasts like a cat with a ball of yarn, entrancingly watching as they heavily swung from side to side. "Please stop."

The other man that had been caressing the new mother's neck grunted before stomping over to the blond on the opposite end of the room. He grinned at the sound of the slap across her sweating cheek, hearing the sound echo throughout the small room. "Shut up."

Jennifer glared up to the younger one of her captors. "I shut up when you leave her alone."

The dirt covered man frowned before making his way behind the blonde's chair, using both of his hands to keep her head staring straight. "Why don't you watch how my friend here can turn your wife."

The blue eyed woman did her best to shake her head, her eyes looking down to the ground as her wife continued to be touched by greasy hands. "Turn her?"

The younger captor grinned, watching as his partner made the brunette woman cry by squeezing her breast, causing the yellowish milk to dribble out. "Hank here can turn any pretty lady straight."

Jennifer felt her heart break at the sight of the oldest captor licking at her wife's chest, using his tongue to clean up the spilled milk. "Get away from her!"

Emily's chin trembled at the feeling of the balding man's tongue against her skin. She felt her breathing become shallow as her eyes popped open, bile rising in her throat as the man's lips slimily closed around her nipple. Her body shook wildly against her restraints, doing her best to get away from the sick man. "Stop it!"

Hank looked up to the brunette woman and shook his head, his tongue flicking against her perked nipple before starting to suckle.

Emily broke down at the feel of the older man suckling at her breast, drinking the milk that was meant for her brand new baby boy. Her head tilted up and she looked helplessly at the roof above her, her tears coming down so hard that her eyes ached. "God please help me..."

Jennifer cried out as the younger captor increased the pressure on her head, her eyes stinging as she was forced to watch the torture scene before her. "Emily!"

The brunette forced her dark eyes to look over to her wife, and she let out a pained smile as Hank's hands began to travel down her abdomen. "Baby don't cry."

The younger woman clenched her jaw and ground her teeth before violently shaking her head, effectively getting the younger captor's hands off of her. She looked to her wife with a pleading gaze, fighting against her restraints with all her mite. "We're gonna get out of here, ok? Me and you. Just hang on until the team comes, ok?"

Emily felt herself pout as her tears began to slow, dread leaving her body and disgust filling in its place. She weakly shook her body to get herself rid of the greasy man, oblivious to the younger captor that was sneaking his hand down her wife's pants and covering her mouth to guard her screams. "Please stop, you're hurting me."

Hank growled before clamping a hand over the brunette mother's mouth, biting down hard on her perked nipple.

Emily screamed into the balding man's hand, her pained gaze connecting with her wife's as the cried together.

~End of Flashback~

~Flashback~

Emily let out a sigh as she cleaned the last plate in the sink, looking down to the shiny white fine china with dull eyes. It had been two and a half months since the abduction. Both women had been told to go to a therapist in order to return to work. JJ was the one of the two women to actually fail her psych eval the first time it was taken, and her frustration that was already to a boiling point flew even higher.

That made the womens marriage tougher than ever.

The blond had started flying off the handle, having nightmares about the days they were kept in that attic, pushing anyone away if they had put a hand on her without asking, shouting when one little incedent was had in the household.

She and her wife hadn't even shared a kiss since the night they were found.

Emily turned at the sound of the front door and did her best to smile at the beautiful woman who walked through the door. "Hey Jen."

Jennifer looked to her wife, giving a small nod of acknowledgment to the brunette woman before making her way up the stairs.

Emily rolled her eyes at the younger woman's behavior before setting the plate onto the counter, wiping her damp hands on her jeans and slowly creeping up the house's staircase. She sat herself down on the bed in the master bedroom, her legs crisscrossed underneath her and waited for her wife, knowing that Jennifer was saying hello to their children.

The blond mother suddenly opened her bedroom door, her eyes popping open at the surprise of her wife sitting in the center of their bed, her dark eyes softly gazing towards her. "Hi."

The older woman gave a gentle nod. "Hey. How was the rest of the day after I left?"

Jennifer gave a shrug, closing the bedroom door behind her and slipping off her blazer. "Fine."

Emily tiredly watched as her wife walked to the other side of the room to rummage through the dresser drawers, and she quietly gave a sigh. "Jennifer I think we need to talk."

Jennifer frowned, keeping her eyes on the mirror before her and taking out the earrings she had worn that day. "About what?"

"I think you know."

The blond immediately shook her head, slipping off her blouse and turning so her back was facing the older woman. "Emily no."

Emily's frustration grew at the younger woman's answer. "Jennifer we haven't ever talked about this; just you and me."

Jennifer shivered at the words coming out of her wife's mouth, remembering that she'd said almost just that in the attic. Just them. "I'm dealing with it."

"Obviously you're not."

The blond spun around, her face red with anger as she pointed an accusing finger towards the older woman. "You don't know! You don't understand what I'm feeling!"

Emily's anger rose within her, standing from the bed with her dark eyes glaring at her blond wife. "You are not the only one who went through all of that, Jennifer! What about me, huh?"

Jennifer shook her head. "You don't get it, Emily. I had to sit there for days and watch you be abused! Do you know what that did to me? Knowing that I couldn't kill them then and there and take you into my arms?" She sniffled as she watched tears well in the older woman's eyes. "That killed me."

Emily let out a small cry as she took a step forward. "I went through that too, Jayje. I had to watch him touch you too and I felt my heart break." She stepped forward and reached out to pull her wife into a hug. "We went through that together."

The younger woman stiffened and roughly shoved her wife away, not wanting to feel that love and comfort that she didn't deserve. "Stop."

The brunette felt her body go rigid. "Don't you dare touch me like that. You do not push me! You don't touch me like that!"

That was it. A clean smack to the older woman's cheek. Emily's eyes widened, her head turning to look back at her wife as the sting of the hit radiated through her.

Jennifer's chin lifted, her head held high. She could be strong on her own. No help, no one else.

Emily's chin trembled against her will as more tears threatened to fall from her eyes, her voice growing thick. "Get out. You get out of my house right now."

The blond woman stood her ground. "This isn't just your house."

"I will not have you around the children when you're acting like this." Her watering eyes hardened when her wife made no move to leave. "Get out of my house!" The brunette woman sat herself on the master bedroom's bed when the younger woman stormed out of the room, taking her pillow into her hands and breaking down just as the front door slammed.

~End of Flashback~


	12. Chapter 12

Emily's dark eyes looked wearily down to the telephone in her hand, her fingers dancing lightly over the buttons that were lighting up as she contemplated on the phone call she had thought about making. A moment of weakness, yes, but a conversation that could easily brighten up her spirits that had considerably darkened earlier that night.

The brunette bit her lip before sitting up in her bed, her back resting against the headboard as she dialed that familiar number. She heard the ringing as she slowly put the plastic phone against her ear, her heart beating faster and faster as the ringing continued on.

"Hello?"

Emily's body froze at the sound of the other woman's voice. "H-Hi."

"Emily? Is that you?"

The brunette nodded dumbly against the home phone. "Yeah, yeah it is."

There was a pause at the other end of the phone. "Hey. Is everything ok? Its pretty late to be calling."

Emily clutched the phone just a little tighter as tears welled in her doe eyes. "Michelle gave me an ultimatum."

"Oh Em why? What happened?"

The birthday girl shook her head against the phone, her eyes squinting as they blurred with tears. "Do you think you could come over? I really need to talk to you. I know its kind of a long drive, but I'd really like you to come over."

"Of course, Emily. I'll do my best to be right there, ok?"

"Ok." Emily nodded against her phone. "Thank you."

"Of course."

The birthday girl sniffled as she hung up the phone, dropping it from her hands so she could wipe her tears away. She gently got herself up from her bed, fixing the waistband of the sweats she wore before walking out of the master bedroom and making her way down the house stairs. She sighed before plopping down on the couch, her hand reaching for the remote before covering herself with her favorite purple blanket. The boys were fast asleep up in their beds, and all she had to do was wait. Emily settled herself on the perfect cushions of her couch as she flipped through the channels, her head laying down on the arm of the couch. She could wait.

Two hours and forty-five minutes later the brunette birthday girl awoke from a knocking on her front door. She frowned as her blurry eyes glanced to the clock before getting up from the couch, rubbing her eyes as she trudged across the wooden floors towards the foyer. "Coming!" She cleared her slightly sore throat when she heard her voice grow huskier as usual before looking through the peephole. Her hand quickly reached for the doorknob and pulled the wooden front door open, leaning against it and looking to the blond that stood on her porch. "Hey."

Jennifer did her best to smile at the older woman. "Hey."

"How did you get here so fast? I only called you like three hours ago."

The blond let out a small laugh, nodding her head and pulling her coat tighter around her. "I might have used my sirens at some points to get through the streets. It sounded like you really needed me here."

Emily slowly nodded her head, shivering from the cold night air as it hit her bare arms. "Yeah."

Jennifer frowned at the older woman when she saw her start to shiver, and she quickly ushered her inside. "Come on, its too cold to be out here right now; you have no coat on."

Emily sighed as she was gently pushed inside, hearing the locks of her door being used. "I'm fine."

"Nope. Too cold. You don't need to be getting sick."

The brunette frowned as she was pulled along into the living room and sat on the couch. "Who are you, my mom?"

Jennifer gave a small shake of the head, sitting beside her ex on the comfortable couch. "No, but I was your wife. I know what makes you sick and when you're faking being ok to make it seem like you are but you're really not." She gave a small gesture to her own throat. "You sound a little scratchy already."

Emily bit her lip before nodding her head. "Do you want a drink or anything?"

"No I'm ok." The younger woman took the blanket that had been thrown to the floor and covered the brunette's body. "You good?"

The brunette gave a shrug. "I'm fine."

"Good. Then why don't we start talking about what happened?"

Emily felt her heart beat faster and tears immediately enter her eyes, her hands clutching the blanket that covered her. "I don't know what happened. She was so sweet and got me the best present, but all I could think about was you." She sniffled, letting her dark eyes look up to the younger woman. "I ended up telling her about why everything happened."

The blonde's eyebrows furrowed. "You mean..."

"Yeah."

Jennifer pressed her lips together. "Oh."

Emily immediately felt more tears well in her eyes. "I'm really sorry Jen, I know I should have asked you if I could tell her because its not just my story to tell, but I thought she deserved to know, you know? I mean she's the girl I'm seeing and I thought she should know why I'm so freaking moody and not ready to talk about things that I used to be able to." She felt her body do its best to meekly shrink into the cushions of the couch as she looked to the blond. "Did that make any sense?"

Jennifer gave a short blink of the eyes, quietly counting to ten under her breath before stiffly nodding her head. "Yes, that does make sense."

The birthday girl widened her eyes as she looked to her ex. "You're not mad?"

Jennifer gave her best smile as she shook her head. "Why would I be mad? You gave me a reasonable explanation." She let out a small laugh when she saw her ex's bewildered look. "I've been going to therapy, so I'm getting better."

Emily looked to the blond with surprised eyes. "Wow. Good for you Jen, that's really good."

The younger woman gently nodded her head. "Thanks." She scooted just a little closer to the brunette, putting a comforting hand on her arm. "Now let's continue, ok? What did Michelle say?"

Emily let out a shaky sigh, wiping the back of her hand over the corner of her mouth. "After I told her everything and I cried for a very long time, she said that I should find out if I want to try things with her or if I still want to be with you."

Jennifer felt her heart beat pick up as she waited for the brunette to continue. "And? Do you know what you want?"

The birthday girl let out a cry as she shook her head. "I have no idea what I want."

The younger woman gave a small sigh before scooting forward and taking the crying brunette in her arms. "Shh honey, its ok." She pressed a small kiss to the other mother's temple, rubbing her hand up and down her back. "Please don't cry sweetheart."

Emily slowly pulled her head off of the blonde's shoulder, her reddening eyes looking into her ex's. "I've missed you calling me that." She felt her voice grow husky, Jennifer's hot breath on her face as her eyes looked down to the younger woman's lips. "I've really missed you."

The blond woman felt her eyelids flutter at the husk in the brunette's voice. "I've missed you too." She pulled the older woman's body to hers before crashing their lips together. 


	13. Chapter 13

The older woman's eyes closed as a spark jolted through her, loving the feel of her ex's mouth moving languidly over hers. She sighed against the blonde's lips, moving onto her knees and letting her hands cup themselves around the other woman's neck. She felt her heart pounding as the blonde's hands moved from her waist to the small of her back, her fingertips itching their way down under the waistband of her sweats.

Jennifer smiled against the brunette's lips, using the tip of her tongue to trace along the inviting gap between Emily's parted lips. She snuck her left hand down the older woman's sweats, cupping the right cheek of her ass and squeezing firmly.

Emily felt her eyes roll behind her closed lids, taking in a deep breath as Jennifer's lips trailed along her jaw. "Oh Jen..."

The younger woman grinned before nipping at the skin of the brunette's jaw, loving the sound of the moan that escaped the older woman's lips.

Emily gasped as Jennifer sucked at that special spot below her ear before biting at the bottom of her ear lobe, the blonde's hand massaging the flesh of her ass. She quickly moved her head away from the pleasured torment before slamming her lips back down onto the younger woman's, her teeth biting down gently on the blonde's tongue to get her to moan. "Come on Jenny, make a sound for me."

Jennifer groaned into the older woman's mouth as she let the brunette lay her down on her back, her hand squeezing hard onto Emily's ass, her fingernails scaring the pale flesh.

The older mother of two kissed her ex back just as passiontely as she kissed her, laying her body just atop hers.

Jennifer grinned at the whimper that left the brunette's mouth when their lips parted as the tip of her pointer finger made its way to the crack of her ass, her blue eyes looking up at the older woman's face as her finger danced around her back entrance. "God you are so sexy."

Emily's eyes reluctantly opened as she let out a louder whimper, staring deep into the blonde's lust filled eyes as she felt the tip of her finger gently probe her back entrance. "Jen..."

The younger woman let out a chuckle at the feeling of the brunette's nipples hardening against the fabric of her tank top when they brushed against her. "Don't worry baby. I'm not gonna hurt you."

Emily's lips parted, her eyes closing tight as she let out a shaky moan, feeling Jennifer's finger finally slip into the heat of her back entrance. "Oh my God!"

"Does it hurt?"

The older woman quickly shook her head, not wanting the pleasure that the blond was giving her to end.

The blond reached up and pressed a kiss to her ex's parted lips, watching as the brunette did her best just to breathe right. "You like that?"

Emily stared into the younger woman's eyes, biting her bottom lip hard as Jennifer's finger started to move back and forth. "Mmhmm." She gasped as the blonde's free hand reached down the front of her pants, her pointer and middle finger quickly getting to work on rubbing and circling her nub. "J-Jen!"

Jennifer chuckled when Emily's face fell into the crook of her neck, her hot breath on the skin of her neck as her body began to shake. "Its ok baby."

Emily felt her body start to spasm, the heat coiling in her stomach beginning to expand. "Jen I'm coming..."

The blond yanked at her ex's hair, getting her face out of the crook of her neck and bringing their lips together. "I love you, Emily."

The older mother of two felt tears immediately enter her eyes, Jennifer's lips gently crashing back into hers, stopping the sob that threatened to leave her lips as she came. She slowly shook her head after her body had calmed, and she pulled her lips from the blonde's, her hand coming up to cover her quivering lips as she sat up. "I can't."

Jennifer looked sadly up to the brunette woman, her hands sliiping from her pants. "Em..."

"No." The older woman let out a cry as she quickly got herself up from the blonde's body, stumbling slight as the haze slowly shook itself from her mind. "I'm so sorry, but I can't."

"Mommy?"

Emily looked up to see her eldest son sitting at the top of the stairs, and she held out a hand to stop Jennifer from getting up from the couch. "Baby what are you doing up? Its way past your bedtime."

Henry's eyes lit up at the sight of the blond head moving on the couch. "Momma?"

Emily quickly shook her head, quickly making her way up the staircase. "Come on honey, I'm gonna put you back in bed."

"No! Momma!"

The brunette mother let out a sigh before nodding her head, lifting the five year old up into her arms and holding his tired body against her chest. "Ok that is momma. Give her a wave, ok?" She pressed a small kiss to the young boy's cheek, her legs still a little wobbly from the earth shattering orgasm she had had not a moment ago. "Now let's get to bed."

Henry shook his head, looking to his brunette mother with a frown. "What about momma?"

"Ok baby I'll tell you what. If you let mommy tuck you back into your comfy bed and you get back to sleep, mommy will make sure that momma will be here in the morning. How about that?"

The five year old immediately smiled and nodded his head, waving down to his blond mother that sat in the living room. "Night momma!"

Jennifer waved back to her son, hoping the smile on her face didn't reflect the heartbreak she felt. "Goodnight buddy. Get some rest."

Emily let out a tired sigh as she carried the blond boy back into his room, careful not to wake up her youngest that still lay sleeping as she set Henry back in his bed. Making sure her son had his favorite bear all snuggled up with him, the brunette woman brought his blanket up all the way up to his chest and pressed another goodnight kiss to his forehead. "Get back to sleep my darling."

Henry held onto his mother's hand when she tried to stand from his bed. "Mommy?"

The brunette mother nodded her head. "What is it, sweetie?"

"Are you and momma gonna live together again?"

Emily felt her heart sink into her stomach as she looked down to the confused little boy. She held onto hs hand just a little tighter before leaning down and kissing the tip of his nose. "Henry, you know that me and your momma have to live apart now. We need to be apart from one another because that's what is gonna make us happy in the long run. But just because we aren't living in the same homes doesn't mean we don't have the same amount of love for you and Connie." She found herself smiling when her blond son nodded against his pillow. "You know how much we love you?"

Henry smiled and took his hand out from under his blanket, squeezing his fingers together. "This much?"

The mother of two let her jaw drop in mock shock. "Oh Henry Jared I am surprised you think so little of me and your momma. Try again."

Henry laughed before holding his hands at least six inches apart. "This much?"

"One more time."

The five year old spread his arms as far as they would go, a huge grin on his face. "This much!"

Emily felt a huge grin spread over her lips as she held out her arms just like his. "This much?"

"This much!"

Emily laughed before reached down and tickling her son's tummy, feeling her heart fill wth warmth at the sound of the blonde's laugh. She pressed a gentle kiss to his lips once he finally calmed down and stood from her spot on his bed. "Goodnight my love."

Henry yawned, curling into his favorite bear. "Night mommy."

The brunette woman smiled from her spot in the doorway, pressing a kiss to her fingers before holding it out to the tired boy. "Kisses."

"Kisses mommy."

Emily felt herself sigh before exiting the room, making her way down the hallway and stopping at the top of the stairs, her eyes glancing down to look sadly to the blond sitting down on the couch. What was she supposed to tell her? She bit her lip before walking down the stairs, her arms crossed over her chest as she walked up to the couch. "Jen?"

The younger woman turned at her ex's voice, quickly wiping the tears from her eyes. "Hey. Did he go down ok?"

The brunette mother sighed. "Are you ok?"

Jennifer scoffed before shaking her head, looking up to the older woman with a sad smile. "Are you?"

Emily felt tears enter her eyes, feeling the leftover tremors from her and the blonde's little couch adventure just leave her body. She sniffled before giving a shake of the head, her arms tightening their hold on one another. "Jennifer I am so sorry that I led you on."

The younger woman shook her head. "No Em, you didn't l-"

"But I did! I let you kiss me and I kissed you right back!" The brunette bit into her bottom lip, forcing herself not to cry. "I know you still love me."

Jennifer gave a sad nod of the head, her eyes glued to her feet on the floor. "I do."

Emily let out the shakiest of sighs before hesitantly kneeling before the younger mother, putting her hands on her knees to get her attention. "You know that I love you too. Without you I would have never had Henry as a son and I doubt I would have ever thought to have Conner. I could never not love you for that." She gave a small shake of the head, her voice growing weaker. "But I-"

"No," the blond whispered. "Please don't say it."

The older mother held her ex's hands tight in hers, looking straight into the other woman's eyes. "But I don't know if I could love you again in the same way you love me." She shook her head as tears fell from the blonde's eyes. "I am so sorry Jennifer."

...

Emily wiped her eyes one last time before heading out the front door, closing it softly behind her. After making sure her ex and both her sons were fast asleep, the brunette woman knew she needed to go and see her girlfriend.

The mother of two pulled her coat tighter around her as small snowflakes began to fall from the sky, hurrying up her girlfriend's front steps as the cold moved its way onto her skin. She peeked in through the window beside the front door, a smile spreading over her face when she saw the younger woman cleaning up in the living room, and she quickly knocked on the wooden door.

Michelle's eyebrows furrowed as she opened the front door, her eyes landing on the older woman that stood on her porch wrapped in her favorite coat. "Emily? Do you know what time it is?"

Emily immediately pulled the younger woman into her arms and crashed their lips together, her arms wrapping tight around her girlfriend's waist.

The younger brunette felt her heart speed up as her girlfriend's lips moved over hers, and cursed herself when she felt the need to push her away. "What's going on?"

"I want you." Emily held the younger woman tight to her, tears in her eyes begging to be shed. "I want a chance with you so badly, Michie. I want it to be us that I think about every night, us to have the anniverseries and us possibly spending the rest of our lives together."

Michelle bit back a smile when the older woman kissed her once again, but she quickly held down her cheering feelings as they settled their foreheads against one another. "Emily...I want that too."

The mother of two vigorously nodded her head. "I want it to be you that shares my bed and that spends the days and nights with our kids all together." The brunette finally smiled as her girlfriend wiped her tears from her cheeks. "I want to love you."


	14. Chapter 14

Christmas Day

...

Emily smiled as she snuggled into the warmth of her girlfriend's side, resting her head on the younger woman's shoulder and watching the kids open up the last of their presents. The kids had opened most of their gifts that morning, but the adults had wanted them to wait until the evening to open the best of the presents that they had gotten them.

Jennifer and her parents had even come up for the day to see the children. The ex wives had done their best in the time after Emily's birthday and before the holidays to get to all the co-parenting therapy appointments that Emily suggested they take, and they had even went to dinner twice to talk about the boys.

No fighting whatsoever.

Jennifer had begun to understand that she and Emily had no longer had a future and she had given the obviously in love couple their space; no more talking behind their backs and trying to break up their relationship. She knew they belonged together.

"Mommy! Look what Nana and Pop Pop got me!"

Emily smiled down to her eldest son as he came running up to them, and her eyes widened as much as they could when she saw the play kitchen set sitting by the tree. "Wow buddy, look at that! Its so big."

Henry nodded his head, his eyes just as wide. "I know!"

The brunette mother of two gave a laugh. "Well did you say 'thank you'?"

"I did mommy."

Emily smiled wide and pulled the five year old to her, setting a kiss to his button nose.

"Emily do you want me to start setting the table?"

She shook her head, sharing a kiss with her girlfriend before she stood from the carpeted floor. "That's ok, I'll do it."

Jason Jareau stood from his spot on the couch, Conner clutching to his legs. "I'll come and help you."

The three made their way into the kitchen, and Emily quickly pointed to the turkey that sat on the stove. "If you can take that out, I'll get the fruit salad and regular salad from the fridge."

The sixty year old quickly nodded his head. "And maybe we could sit down for a minute? I'd like to talk to you Em."

Emily looked to her father-in-law and gave a small nod, her heart immediately beginning to race. She took both bowls from the fridge before making her way out into the dining room. "What would you like to talk about?"

Jason smiled to the brunette, the woman who was a second daughter to him, and waved to the seat beside him and little Conner in his lap. "Sit down, darling."

The mother of two nodded after setting the salads onto the table, sitting down beside the older man. "What's up?"

"That brunette in there sure is a looker."

Emily felt her jaw drop, her brown eyes widening as she looked to the older man. "What?"

Jason let out a laugh, holding his grandson closer to his chest. "Oh relax honey, you know I've said worse." The smile left his face, his posture straightening as the seriousness started to float into the conversation. "So Jenny told me everything that happened."

The brunette mother looked down to her hands in her lap, her teeth biting hard into her lower lip. "Before or after the divorce?"

"Both."

Emily groaned just as her head fell to rest in her hands.

Jason looked to the young mother with sympathy. "Oh come on now, pick up that pretty face. Annie and I know that you are gonna move on from Jennifer and that's completely ok. Its normal."

Emily let out a small sigh, tears quickly welling in her eyes. "If you don't want to think of me as a daughter anymore, I understand sir."

Jason immediately shook his head. "Oh sweetheart." He smiled, putting his warm hand over hers. "If you think you can get rid of me and Annie that easily, you've got another thing coming."

The brunette mother of two looked up to her father-in-law with confusion, seeing love hiding weakly behind his dark blue eyes. "But I'm no longer married to Jennifer. Why would you still think of me like that?"

"Emily, you got our daughter out of one of the roughest spots she had ever been in. She loved you so much, and I know you loved her too. You gave her a family, sweetheart; our beautiful grandsons. I couldn't stop loving you if I tried." He smiled, wiping the tears from the young woman's face. "You will always be my daughter."

Emily let out a cry before moving to the edge of her seat, letting the older man envelope her in the biggest hug she had ever received. She pressed a sweet kiss to his cheek, smiling when he squeezed her tighter. "I love you, dad."

Jason smiled, moving back as he felt Conner squirming on his lap. He pressed a gentle kiss to the tip of her nose, his hand moving to cup her cheek. "I love you too pumpkin. Now let's get everyone in here. The food looks amazing."

"Thanks." She stood from her seat, wiping under her eyes before glancing into the living room. "Ok guys, time for dinner!"

Olivia quickly got up from her mother's lap, leaving her new barbie laying on the ground before she ran over to the brunette woman that her mother was dating. "Emily?"

The mother of two smiled down to the young girl in her new white dress before kneeling before her. "What's up munchkin?"

The brunette girl blushed at the name that the older woman had for her. "Can I sit with you?"

Emily felt her heart melt at the sweet words that came out of her girlfriend's daughter's mouth. She brought the young girl closer to her, her hands holding Olivia's smaller ones. "I would love for you to sit with me. Next to me or on my lap?"

"Lap!"

"Ok!" The mother of two pressed a kiss to Olivia's cheek before picking her up in her arms. She smiled as Annie and Jason pushed the piano bench to an open spot at the head of the dining room table, thanking them quickly before setting herself down with the young girl on her lap, Henry immediately jumping up beside them. "Get the napkin, ok?"

Michelle smiled at the brunette pair on the bench, watching as her girlfriend helpfully instructed her how to unfold the napkin and lay it in her lap so nothing got on her pretty new dress.

The mixed, makeshift family talked and laughed during their Christmas dinner, sharing stories and even listening to the children singing their favorite carol, Conner repeating the last word of each verse just after it was said. Michelle and Jennifer had even held a small conversation laced with smiles, surprising the rest of the adults in the room when no insults were thrown.

After dinner was finished, Michelle took the opportunity to grab everyone's attention while they cleaned off their hands and mouths with their napkins. "I'm sorry to steal everyone's attention but I'd like to make an announcement."

Everyone at the table looked up to the brunette, watching as she stood from her chair and made her way over to stand beside her girlfriend, picking her daughter up off of the older woman's lap and sitting her beside Henry.

"As you all know, Emily and I have been dating for a couple of months and we spend almost every second together that we can." She felt herself smile at the grin that was spreading over her girlfriend's cheeks. "We've shared everything with one another, and I feel like my beautiful girlfriend deserves to know what I've been thinking about us and our relationship."

Emily laughed nervously as her girlfriend kneeled down before her. "What are you doing?"

Michelle smiled up to the brunette mother of two, taking her hand in hers. "Emily, I know from experience that if you wait too long to claim your love for the one you never want to let go of, they'll go off and find someone else that will do it faster. I know that we belong together, and I want us to be with each other forever."

The older woman's jaw dropped. "You love me?"

The mother of one let out a gentle laugh. "I do."

Emily's eyes filled with tears, a grin immediately hitting her face. "I love you too."

The younger woman's smile mirrored her girlfriend's, her hands tightening around the older brunette's. "Now don't worry, I know neither of us are ready for the most serious of commitments, but," she reached into her back pocket and pulled out a blue box, "I do want you to be mine forever."

Emily gentle shook her head. "Is that...?"

"Its only a promise ring." She smiled wide at the older brunette. "I want you to be my wife, Emily. I can't imagine spending my life without you, and if you let me, I promise to spend every moment at your side and trying to make you happy."

Jennifer grinned wide at the couple, tears welling in her eyes as Emily looked to her with the question of approval dancing behind her dark eyes. She nodded her head, biting her lip as her father's hand held hers. "Go ahead."

Emily looked back down to her girlfriend, loving the feel of the younger woman playing with her ring finger. "I will."

Michelle's grin wdened, immediately slipping the diamond laced ring onto the older woman's finger. "You will?"

Emily let out a watery laugh before nodding her head, weaving her fingers into her girlfriend's curled hair and capturing her lips in hers. "I will."


End file.
